summer

There’s nothing quite like grilling out, and one recipe that has turned asparagus-haters into asparagus-lovers in my family is grilled balsamic asparagus. There are quite a few tasty yet simple variations available online. Mine is as follows; amounts are determined by the amount of the veggie you are making. The coriander provides a citrus-y zing that goes well with the balsamic.

This recipe is easy to make in a skillet/wok, though flame grilling provides a better flavor, IMHO.

To prepare the spears, it’s not required to trim them with a knife or peel them. You can snap the spear in two towards the bottom (the more fibrous part will separate from the more tender part naturally).

Grilled Balsamic Asparagus

Bunch(es) of fresh asparagus spears

Olive or vegetable oil

Balsamic vinegar

Salt

Pepper

Coriander (crush the seeds with a mortar and pestle or use powdered coriander)

Rinse and prepare asparagus (as noted above). Put all ingredients into a sealable plastic bag and set in a baking pan (in case the bag leaks). Refrigerate and marinate for at least 1 hour, mixing at least once or twice, so all spears sit in the mixture/are coated well. Grill until the spears are cooked to desired doneness, rotating as needed. (I prefer to cook them until darker green, but not so much that they are mushy.) Serve hot.

Enjoy!

(And watch for grill flare-ups due to the oil; make sure to grill safe!)

Happy mid-summer from Wisconsin! Now that we have an additional year in our new space, we’re starting to transform our yard with a variety of new plants as I’ve noted earlier. It’s a slow, albeit rewarding, process for sure; there’s only so much we can do in a day/week/month, particularly when life and weather can intervene. The pace also allows for some thoughtful reflection: I know I’ve re-imagined our layout plan numerous times, but it will gradually fall into place.

We’ve been marveling at all the new flowers- some in the garden and some in the yard, and I wanted to share some Wisconsin summer with you wherever you are…

Runner beans on a tomato cage- something has been snacking on them, unfortunately…

More from the garden- radish flowers

Some Tristan strawberries-to-be (doing exuberantly well in a pot)

Milkweed (We have been pleased to see more butterflies than Monarchs in our yard, as well!)

A prickly pear cactus flower (I somewhat recently found out that prickly pear cacti are native to Wisconsin!)